Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 13, 2024 Saugus Gardens in the Summer Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener T he harvest moon will shine on our gardens this week. Tuesday, September 17 will bring us the full moon, sometimes called the corn moon. The harvest moon, which may occur in either September or October, is one that falls closest to the fall equinox (September 22); September’s full moon is also the harvest moon this year. One of Laura Taglieri’s birthday gifts this summer was a bonsai tree very different than most of us have ever seen: a tiny Chinese banyan. It was given to her by another garden club member, Dianna Cresta. While traditional Japanese methods of pruning may have been used to keep it small, this is not one of the species I usually see used for this process, nor is it a tree we would see living through the winter outdoors in Saugus. The Chinese banyan (Ficus microcarpa) is a broadleaf evergreen tree originally from Eastern Asia in regions with much warmer year-round temperatures than ours. Unlike trees that are found in our climate, this species produces aerial roots that hang down from the branches and can root themselves when they reach the ground. This bonsai banyan will need to be kept indoors in the winter, due to our climate. The Lahaina Banyan Tree, which narrowly escaped the fires in Hawaii last year, is a closely related species (Ficus benghalensis). That tree is the largest banyan in the United States and has 16 main trunks as a result of aerial roots touching the ground, not to mention the larger original trunk. The tree has been given a lot of attention to ensure it survives the damage caused by the 2023 wildfires. It was planted over 150 years ago as a 50th anniversary gift to the town – marking the date of the first protestant missionaries in Hawaii – and is the central feature of a popular park called Lahaina Banyan Court Park. The tree covers almost a half-acre and is about 60 feet tall. About one-third of the tree had to be removed due to the fire damage, and the community worked to salvage it by aerating roots, hanging water lanterns in the aerial root system and using other watering techniques as well as restricting activities such as parking or walking, in some areas to prevent soil compaction. Dee LeMay is growing a large patch of native turtleheads (Chelone lyonii) in the bed adjacent to her driveway. If you look at the blossom you can see where it got its name. Bees enter the “mouth” of the turtlehead flower to forage for pollen and nectar, and Dee enjoys listening to the buzzing of the bees inside the blossom and watching them bumping against the sides of the flower. Eventually the bee makes its way out and goes on to other nearby blossoms. These perennials bloom for a while in late summer and early fall. There are also some in the pollinator gardens at Breakheart Reservation near the Visitor’s Center, so stop and listen if you see a bee enter the flowers there! ‘Empress of India’ nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus ‘Empress of India’) is a beautiful and edible annual persisting late into fall. At the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, nasturtiums are forced into bloom in the greenhouse for late winter display in the atrium, but they can be wonderful summer annuals in our gardens throughout New England. Dee LeMay has several currently in bloom. Nasturtium blossoms can be found in vivid colors, including deep red like the “Empress of India” and shades of orange, yellow, deep pink and white. The flowers are beautiful, and the leaves are an interesting shape, which botanists call peltate, with the leaf stalk or petiole attaching to the center of the round leaf blade rather than the edge, so it resembles a fully open umbrella. The leaf veins originate near the center and radiate outward. Other names for this species include monk’s cress and Indian cress, referring to the spicy taste of the leaves and flowers, which can be used in salads. In the summer of 1888, Vincent Van Gogh painted a series of works depicting sunflowers. Probably the most famous of these is “Vase with Twelve Sunflowers,” which shows several different varieties, including ‘Teddy Bear’ (Helianthus annuus ‘Teddy Bear’). This variety can be recognized by extra rows of ray florets, giving it a very cuddly, almost furry appearBees enter the “mouth” of the turtlehead flower to forage for pollen and nectar. (Photo courtesy of Dee LeMay) Dee LeMay’s large patch of native turtleheads bloom adjacent to her driveway. (Photo courtesy of Dee LeMay) Chinese banyan (Photo courtesy of Laura Taglieri) ance. They are sometimes described as double sunflowers due to all the extra petals. This variety is also shorter than we usually picture a sunflower – at just a few feet high, they rarely block a view or tower over surrounding plants. Dee LeMay planted quite a few seeds this year – while they did not all grow, those that did reach flowering size provided some very rewarding flower heads this week. Editor’s Note: Laura Eisener is a landscape design consultant who helps homeowners with landscape design, plant selection and placement of trees and shrubs, as well as perennials. She is a member of the Saugus Garden Club and offered to write a series of articles about “what’s blooming in town” shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was inspired after seeing so many people taking up walking. ‘Empress of India’ nasturtium is a beautiful and edible annual persisting late into fall. (Photo courtesy of Dee LeMay) ‘Teddy Bear’ sunflower is an unusual variety easily recognized by its “fuzzy” flower head. (Photo courtesy of Dee LeMay)
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